Breed HistoryThe Siberian Husky was developed over a period of around 3,000 years by the Chukchi Eskimo’s (Inuit), and related peoples of Siberia and developed to fulfill a particular need of the Chukchi life and culture. In one of the most inhospitable climates in the world, with temperatures plummeting to -100C in winter with winds up to 100 mph, the Chukchi relied on their dogs for survival. With teams as large as twenty or more they could travel out over the ice, sometimes covering as much as 100 miles in a single day allowing a single man to ice-fish and return with his catch. By sled dog standards they were small, but the large size of the teams minimized per-dog pulling power, while their smaller frames maximized endurance and low energy consumption. Even today, in long races, the Alaskan Malamutes, cousins of the Siberian husky, typically require twice the amount of food. The Chukchi economy and religious life was centered on the Huskies with the best dogs owned by the wealthiest members of the community, considered so because of the dogs that they owned. In Chukchi belief two huskies guard the gates of heaven turning away anybody that has shown cruelty to a dog in their life time. Another Chukchi legend tells that in a time of famine when both human and dog populations were decimated, the last two remaining pups were nursed at a woman's breast to insure the survival of the breed. Breed History Tribal life revolved around the dogs, the women of the tribe rearing the pups and choosing which to keep, discarding all but the most promising bitches and neutering all but the most promising males. The men's responsibility was sled training using mostly the geldings. Huskies also would act as companions for the children and the family's dogs slept inside where their body heat was a welcome addition on cold Arctic nights. Their legendary sweetness of temperament was another desirable trait. Controlling a team of up to 20 dogs 100 miles out on the ice called for harmony, and a fight between two ill tempered animals could spell disaster for the whole expedition.

When winter came, all dogs were tied up when not working, but the elite un-neutered dogs were allowed to roam and breed at will, thus insuring that only the very best would mate. In summer all the dogs were released and allowed to hunt in packs, only returning to the villages when the snow returned and food grew scarce. These primitive hunting instincts can still be found in the breed today.

A story documented a number of years ago testifies to this when a Siberian Husky bitch, a family's pet, was lost during an autumn hike, only to find its own way home. In the nineteenth century, when Czarist troops were sent on a mission to open the area to the fur trade the Chukchi faced a peril even deadlier than the Siberian winters. Czarist troops attempted an all -out genocide of the Chukchi people, and again the dogs would be the key to their survival. The Chukchi were able to out run the Russian reindeer cavalry on their sleds and managed to evade the invading armies. The whole invasion culminated in a final battle when the Chukchi, armed only with spears, overwhelmed and routed a heavily armed Russian Troop. A victory which led to the Czar signing a treaty with the Chukchi, giving them independence. Breed History Unfortunately in the twentieth century, the Soviets opened free trade with the Chukchi, then known as the "Apaches of the North", and along with the traders came a weapon against which the Chukchi had no defence, Smallpox, which decimated the tribes. Then, with a diabolical understanding of the importance of the dogs in Chukchi cultural coherence, the Soviets executed the village leaders, who were of course the dog breeders. They then set up their own dog breeding programs designed to obliterate the native gene pool replacing it with a gene pool that would produce a much larger freighting dog thought to be more effective for their own proposed fur-trading practices in the region. The Soviets even went so far, in 1952, as issuing an official proclamation that the breed we now call the Siberian Husky never really existed, although even today small remnants of the breed still survives in its native territory. However, long before the Soviets managed to relegate them to the category of "those who officially never existed." The reputation of the little Chukchi dogs had already spread throughout the world. Around the turn of the twentieth century, polar exploration was capturing the worlds attention and adventurers came to the yearly Markova Fair on the Siberian peninsula where tribes of the area came to trade. This gathering included the Chukchi and other dog-breeding tribes, such as the Koryak (all of whom probably had some part in the pool of animals that eventually became the Siberian Husky). Breed History Gdosak, a Russian fur trader acquired a team there in 1908 and, in 1909, took them across the Bering Strait to race in the All Alaska Sweepstakes, a 408-mile, grueling race first run in 1908.The Alaskan Gold Rush had established the sled dog as an invaluable commodity, and the race had been instituted to add excitement to an otherwise pretty grim world, to give bragging rights to the eventual winner, and to give vent to that favourite frontier passion, gambling.

Nome to Candle and back was the route of the race crossing every conceivable terrain, including a valley almost always engulfed in a blizzard. Caches of food were strategically stashed along the route by drivers. Regular checkpoints were established, but rest was at each driver's discretion.

The Trade Saloon in Nome was the betting office, bets were placed on a board and betting was open until the first team crossed the finish line.

School children had a holiday the four days of the race and at the start of the race in 1909 event, there was already more than $100,000 bet on the race. The Siberians were about half the weight of the local sled dogs, and much smaller in stature. They were given little chance by the bookies , referred to then as Siberian Wolf Dogs. They were dubbed "Siberian Rats, "because of their small stature.

Breed History Thurstrup was convinced by Goosak to take on the team in April 1909, the first team of Siberian Huskies to be seen on the North American continent trotted out of the town of Nome and into the annals of history. Unfortunately Thurstrup was not a wise or judicious driver.

At the halfway point in the race, he took a short rest period in Candle ,he was overtaken by two more rested teams in the last stretch of the race. and finished in third place. The little dogs surprised everyone. This Inspired a young Scot named Fox Maule Ramsey to spend $25,000 on a freighter to transport seventy new Siberians across the Bering Sea,. He split these into three teams for the 1910 race, the results were first, second, and fourth place places.

The Chukchi or Husky, a generic term for a sled-pulling-dog gained popularity in America, dog fanciers then replaced the name Chukchi with the more general term Siberian Husky and this became his official name. Thanks to the Chukchi he is people oriented, and a popular companion.

The Husky is still the most popular breed for modern "mushers" or owners who want to try him with a sled, the breed happily ignores frigid temperatures and love’s it when we the snow falls.

Because of his long association with people they still maintain the fastidious cleanliness which was always demanded of them and when love and exercised properly are amongst the most loving magical breed of dog you will be ever Blessed to know.